Yours
by ByaDai
Summary: Ever since that fateful night of the murder, Hak has never been the same - his sorrowful bloodlust, a burden on his soul. Someone from his past returns to lift the darkness from him and will he finally realize who he has always belonged to? [Hak X OC]
1. Chapter 1

My stomach growled loudly as I tried to stifle my hunger; I had not eaten all day. I watched the hands of the clock tower in the middle of the city square – it was almost time to go to the baker's to carry in his flour supply for the week. I sighed and leaned my head back against the wall of the deserted alley. I missed my parents. I missed my warm bed and my mother's cooking. I missed my father twirling me in the air every time he returned from the borders. My father had been a Kouka soldier; he was often away tending to the borders surrounding our country. He would often train me whenever he could and I enjoyed every minute of it. Unfortunately, they had perished in a fire almost a year ago and had left me to fend for myself. Having no living relatives to take me in, I was forced to the streets. Being my father's daughter, I was too prideful to beg for money or food unlike the other street orphans. Instead, I worked various labor jobs a day in return for food - scrubbing floors, ploughing the fields, washing dishes, carrying supplies and the like.

As I made my way along the street, I saw some teenage boys gathered in a circle, yelling and throwing pebbles at something. There was something small and brown lying in the middle of the circle; to my horror I realized it was a small boy with brown hair. I had seen these boys before; they were notorious for picking on street kids. Just because they were sons of noble or well to do families didn't mean they had the right to treat others like this. I had seen enough; there was no way I'm backing down from this fight…

"Hey! Pick on someone your own size!"

They turned to look at me, then burst into laughter.

"But you're a girllllll", they taunted.

I put myself between them and their victim. I tried to shelter as much of the small body behind me as I could.

"Just because your mummy and daddy are rich doesn't make you above us. Nobody has the right to treat people like slaves" I said, with my head held high.

I heard a whimper as a stone whizzed past me and hit the boy, causing blood to stream out from the gash on his cheek.

"That was a warning, girlie. Get out of the way or we'll hit you too!"

 _They are so gonna pay for that…_ I thought as my eyes darkened.

* * *

"Stop"

The boy that was holding me by the collar dropped me abruptly before cowering on his knees. As I picked myself up, I realized it had become silent as a grave and all the villagers were on their knees, face bowed to the ground. I looked up to see King Il smiling kindly down at me from his carriage. Besides the 4 men carrying his carriage on their shoulders, there was a small troop of armed men on horses behind him and a much smaller carriage.

"What is your name, little one?" he asked.

"Sora, _heika_ (your majesty)" I answered.

"Sora… What a pretty name. And who is this? Your brother?" the king asked, looking at the brown-haired boy from before.

"A relative? Or a friend, perhaps?" he ventured, when I shook my head.

"No, _heika_. I do not know him" I replied.

"My my, you sure are a brave little one, standing up for someone you don't even know. Hmm… Where are your parents?"

"I see…" the king said gently when I averted my eyes without answering.

"Well then, how would you like to come with me to the palace"

The king did not wait for my reply as he gestured to the man closest to him. The man was dressed a little differently from the other soldiers; I assumed he was a higher ranking officer or a general or something of the sort. He picked me up onto his horse like I was a sack of flour and plopped me down in front of him.

With one last warning look at the bullies, we rode toward the palace.

* * *

As General Yu-Hon rode back towards the palace, he stole a glance at the dark-haired girl seated in front of him. She had kept her silence ever since they left the village. He was one of the most successful generals known to Kouka Kingdom and he had seen his fair share of excellent fighters and prodigies. But even he was impressed by what he had seen just moments ago – this young girl; she looked barely 10 and yet even when the boys had surrounded her earlier, she hadn't backed down. She had fast reflexes and was quick on her feet. But what had captured Yu-Hon's attention was the fire that burned behind her amber eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

"Sora!"

 _I am in so much trouble…_

"How many times have I told you not to play with weapons?"

"But _heika_ , I'm not playing, I'm practicing! Yu-Hon-sama taught me, see!" I said proudly showing him a new swordplay I had learnt.

"I simply won't allow it. You may not be of my blood but you are like a daughter to me and that makes you as much of a princess as Yona. Please, Sora, you may ask of me anything else. What do 10 year old girls want these days – clothes, dolls, jewelries? Anything you desire, but no weapons! Won't you go and play with Yona instead?"

"I'm not a princess! I appreciate that you've given me a home and a family, but this is who I am. What good am I if I am not even capable of protecting anyone?" I said. Although my biological father had been more than happy to teach me some basic fighting skills, he had always emphasized how these skills should be used to protect, to seek justice for those who could not and to defend the helpless. This was his code, and so it shall be mine.

I ask myself every day why the king brought me to the palace and adopted me. And every time I asked him, he would smile and say because he saw bravery and loyalty in me and simply wished for a better destiny for me.

I hated it. I hated how the king had, in his own way, forced everyone to accept me as his adoptive daughter. I hated how everyone would address me as princess when in fact I knew they gossiped amongst themselves behind the King's back. I hated that some even treated me with suspicion that I might one day wish to take over the throne myself.

* * *

"Sora ne-sama~~ where are you?"

I continued to ignore the calls of my adopted sister as I practiced my archery in the thick shrubbery around the palace.

"She'll find you eventually, you know. Besides, won't you get into trouble again for using that bow?" said a familiar voice.

I sighed and ignored the raven-haired boy that was lying on the grass with his eyes closed.

"That's because you and gramps refuse to take me with you to Fuuga and let me practice there in peace. What are you doing here anyway? This is my spot, go find somewhere else to sleep. Or I might just trample on you, baka" I said, sticking out my tongue at him as I shot another arrow into the tree.

Son Hak – future general and chief of the Wind Tribe, adopted child of Son Mundok and the most annoying boy on this planet. We fought all the time, seriously, ALL THE TIME.

"I'm not the one hiding, baka"

"I called you baka first. It's stupid to insult someone with the same word! Can't you come up with anything better than that, genius?"

"Hah, even you admit I'm a genius. Well then, if you beg me, I might agree to show you how to use that bow correctly"

"I AM using it correctly! See, I shot it in the exact same point as the first arrow! What do you know, wind boy!"

"Wind boy!? I'm almost ready to compete in the martial arts tournament soon! Bet you can't even defeat your own pillow! All you do is sleep and eat" he exclaimed as he jumped to his feet indignantly.

"Naniiii!? I could say the same for you! Bet I could defeat you with one arm behind my back!"

"In your dreams! I could take you on with no arms!"

"Oh yea, I could take you on with one leg!"

"Bet I could take you on with no arms or legs!"

"You can't fight with no arms and legs, stupid!"

"Oh yea!? You wanna have a go!?"

"There you are!" Yona exclaimed, popping out from the bushes, causing Hak and I to jump a mile.

"Good going, Hak, now see what you and that big mouth of yours did. My practice is ruined" I mumbled under my breath.

"Tch, it's not like the practice would've helped you anyway. You'd need a lifetime of practice to even be half as good as me. No, wait, maybe two lifetimes…"

I let out a battle cry as I pounced on him, grabbing him by the collar and wrestling him to the ground.

"You, take that back!" I yelled.

"Make me!" he yelled back as we tussled on the grass.

"Stop it you two!" Yona cried in exasperation.

"HAK!"

I smiled innocently as Mundok plucked Hak out of the bushes and hit him on the head for insulting me. Although I felt guilty for gramps apologizing on behalf of Hak, I relished the sight of him forcing Hak into a bow.

"It's fine. I like that he's himself with me. At least he treats me like a normal person" I said. And to my surprise, I meant every word. As much as we fought with each other, I could always count on Hak to be honest with me. At least he didn't treat me like I was fragile glass all the time.

* * *

I looked away as I felt my face heat up. _Did she just say that she liked me being myself?_

Although I would never admit it out loud, most of what I said was just to get on her nerves. She had an innate talent for battle; she could pick up any weapon or hand to hand combat easily by only seeing it once or twice. She may not be up to par with me at this point but I had no doubt she would be able to challenge me head on soon enough, if only King Il allowed her to practice.

I remembered the first time I met her – she looked like a small wild creature, with long tousled black hair and fierce golden brown eyes. Although she was relatively smaller in stature, as it turns out she was a year older than Soo-Won and I; 3 years older than Princess Yona. Over the course of a year, with proper food and training, she had grown tall and lean… like a boy.

 _She'd probably hit me for that comment_ , I thought to myself with an involuntary smile.

Besides that, she had also grown an appetite for battle, she was always trying to persuade General Yu-Hon or Mundok or myself to teach her something new. I knew General Yu-Hon had been training her in secret, there was too much potential in her for him to turn her away. But, as passionate as she was about it, she was never one to pick a fight. _Well, except with me, that is…_


	3. Chapter 3

6 years later…

A 13 year old Princess Yona watched from a distance as two figures continued to charge at each other; the sound of their wooden swords clashing furiously.

"Is that all you got, wind boy?"

"Speak for yourself; I'm not even breaking a sweat yet. Is that all YOU got, hime-sama?"

"I told you to stop calling me that"

As they continued to spar, King Il looked on worriedly with Mundok by his side. Eventually the king had relented, somewhat; the girl was even more stubborn than Yona! Since General Yu-Hon's death, Mundok had taken her under his wing and she had flourished under his tutelage. She had other teachers as well, generals from the other tribes who had taken an interest in her skills.

"Stop holding back you idiot, unless you wanna lose your head"

"I don't need to be at full strength to take you on so give it your best shot, hime-sama" he said, emphasizing the _hime_ part on purpose.

"I TOLD YOU TO STOP CALLING ME THAT!" Sora bellowed as she charged at Hak with rage. Momentarily taken aback by her intensity, he tripped over a rock and fell backwards causing Sora to crash on top of him as her momentum propelled her forwards.

Mundok held back a smile as he watched both faces flush with colour at being within such close proximity to each other. They jumped a mile apart and dusted themselves, both looking the other way as they struggled to hide their red faces.

 _They are growing up so fast,_ he thought to himself.

* * *

I inhaled deeply, savoring the feeling of cool tiles against my back, soft breeze against my face, teasing my long hair. I love coming up here on to the palace roof, where I could be away from everything and everyone and just lose myself in the vastness of the sky. For some unfathomable reason today my thoughts turned to Hak.

I recalled the practice this afternoon. Hak was my friend, as annoying as he was, but yea, we were friends. As much as he got under my skin, nothing annoyed me more than the strange sensation that would catch me off guard especially when I looked into those piercing blue eyes, very much like today. I recalled my outburst too – I hated being called hime-sama but even more so if it was him; he used to call me by name until recently. _What changed? Was it because of Yona? He's been even closer to her than before lately…_ I thought with a twinge of envy. We practically grew up together; I had lost count of the number of times we had wrestled and tousled together on the ground like that when we were younger. _So when did it start to feel different?,_ I wondered.

I pushed the thought aside; there were more pressing matters at hand to think about. After the training today, I had approached _chichi-ue_ and gramps about my wishes to take on a more serious role, be it as a soldier or lieutenant but ultimately to be a general myself someday. No surprise that _chichi-ue_ had not taken it well.

"I simply won't allow it, Sora. You're only 16 and you are a princess of Kouka. I will not see one of my daughters take up a weapon and fight on battlefields like a foot soldier"

 _What's wrong with being a soldier and serving the country? That's what my father did after all and he was proud of it. What's the point in practicing if I don't get to use any of my skills to help anyone? Hak is a year younger than I am and our skills are comparable, yet he is already Mundok's successor and official princess' bodyguard. And what have I achieved? Nothing!_

I wanted to travel to the other villages, to see the life the people had outside the walls of this castle. I've lived on the streets and I knew there were many more like me out there. I only wished to help make the Kouka Kingdom a stronger and better nation. And there was nothing I could do from behind these walls.

Something hit me sharply on the forehead; I yelped in surprise and opened my eyes to see a small stone rolling down the tiles. I leaned and peered over the edge of the roof only to be hit squarely in the face by another small pebble.

"Finally hime-sama is awake. Hak's hand was getting tired of throwing stones. Hak was about to throw a bigger stone this time" he said, holding up a fist-sized rock for me to see.

"I wasn't sleeping! Couldn't you have just called me like a NORMAL person would instead of throwing stones! What kind of a bodyguard are you!?"

"I did! Anyway, Yona-hime asked me to find you for her. Why are you always up there anyway? It's not exactly very princess-like you know" Hak said, holding his arms out.

I sighed as I leapt down from the roof, falling into his arms.

"You're right, but I'm not a princess so you can stop calling me _hime._ You used to call me by name when we were younger… Anyway to answer your question, I like it up there because when I look up into the sky, I'm reminded of what a small person I am and what a big world it is out there; things I haven't seen and people I haven't met. And when I look at the stars, I wonder if my parents are somewhere up there amongst them watching over me" I said in a serious tone, my eyes shielded by my bangs falling in my face.

* * *

Hak was taken aback by her sudden change in mood. He couldn't see her eyes but her face in front of his suddenly seemed a little too close. He cleared his throat awkwardly and released her, pushing her in the direction of Yona-hime's quarters.

"You'd better get going or Yona-hime is gonna nag at me till my ears fall off"

Later that night, Hak lay with his back against the roof tiles as he looked up into the night sky. Sora-hime had said it with such conviction that he had felt compelled to try it, even if it was just once… _not that he was gonna tell her that of course_. Down below, he could hear Yona-hime ranting to her older sister about what to wear tomorrow; apparently Soo-Won was coming to visit.

Then there was a long pause before he heard Yona-hime say in a softer tone "Sora ne-sama, are you unhappy here? I heard from _chichi-ue_ that you wanted to leave Hiryuu Castle and serve at the borders. By any chance is it…is it something I did? If it is, Yona is very sorry, please don't go!"

"No, Yona didn't do anything wrong. Ne-sama simply wishes to help make this kingdom stronger and better, to meet the needs of the village people as best I can; my father used to tell me that there are many poor villages near the borders. I wish to go there to see what I can do; there is nothing for me here behind these walls"

"Then I'll go with you!"

"No, your place is here, Yona. You are the one true princess and heir to this kingdom. I know you will make a fine queen one day, and I look forward to seeing you rule alongside Soo-Won one day"

"Ne-sama~~! Don't say that! What if someone overheard you! Besides, I'm too young to get married!"

Sora-hime's laughter rang out through the night as she continued to tease her younger sister; both princesses completely unaware of the dark mood that had come over the boy sitting on the roof above them.


	4. Chapter 4

It was after dinner and Princess Yona was occupied trying to entertain Soo-Won with some music and dance. Sora had politely excused herself and was now taking a walk along the palace corridors, her face buried in a book. Suddenly someone rushed at her out of nowhere, knocking the wind out of her and slamming her back against the wall. His hand over her head, palms braced against the wall, trapping her within the shadow of his body.

Her book fluttered to the ground as she faced her attacker.

* * *

He could not tear his gaze away from her burning amber eyes.

Once she realized it was him however, the fierce look dissipated, replaced by an annoyed scowl that marred her otherwise pretty features.

"Hak, I could've killed you! What do you think you're doing, scaring someone like that?"

"Hak has no doubt hime-sama could've killed Hak" he said with a straight face. However, in the back of his mind he acknowledged that she could have, had it been a real attacker, given the look in her eyes moments ago.

"Sora-hime" he said in a serious tone, pausing a moment to make sure he had her attention before continuing.

"When are you leaving the castle?"

"How did you… Yona" she concluded with an exasperated sigh.

 ** _~Flashback_**

It had saddened her to cause any kind of hurt to the king, he had taken care of her for years after all and she truly did love him like a father. But she had been determined, and this morning she had gone to appeal to him to let her go. With a heavy heart the king had granted her request.

"You won't lose me… _chichi-ue_. I am sorry I've never fully acknowledged you as a father, but before I go I do want to let you know how much you mean to me. I am sorry I was not as obedient a daughter as you would wish but I promise I will do something for this kingdom and make you proud one day"

"I understand, Sora, it must not have been easy to lose both your parents at such a young age and then to transit into life here in the palace. I am and will always be proud of you, my daughter"

 ** _~End of flashback_**

"You haven't answered me" he said, interrupting her thoughts.

"A week from now"

 _What!? A week!? That was… too soon._

He felt something unfurl in the pit of his stomach, he didn't know what it was exactly, but it felt awful and left him feeling desperate. _Desperate for what exactly?,_ he wondered.

"Oh. And when were you planning on telling me this? The day before you left? Why are you so insistent on going anyway? You're just chasing a dream your father left behind! It's a fool's dream! You are one person! And a girl on top of that! What can you do? You should just stay like an obedient princess and live a safe life here!" he snapped, his fists clenching above her head.

"I don't have to stand here and listen to you talk about me or my father that way. I need to do this. I just thought you of all people would understand why. I thought I could count on you to support me even if nobody else did" she said, pushing against his chest away from her and storming off.

As he watched her retreating back, he wondered where that outburst had come from. That wasn't what he had intended to say at all; he just felt so furious and helpless that she had decided to go off on her own, and without telling him at all. He couldn't bring himself to admit what he had really wanted to say, because he didn't have the right to say such things in the first place.

 _Please… don't go…_

* * *

"Come on, Hak! When are you gonna take me seriously?"

They were having their last training together as she would be leaving the next morning. A week had flown by; and with each training she had become more and more intense. She truly was a formidable opponent – it had taken all he had to hold her off. After a week of intensive training, his mind felt sluggish, his body and limbs felt like lead, weighing him down.

She swung her sword skillfully at him, then took that opportunity to deliver a forceful kick to his chest, sending him reeling backwards and landing on his back.

"Get up, Hak"

"No, Hak surrenders" he said as he dropped his own sword and stretched out on the grass, relaxing his sore muscles.

Suddenly he felt a weight atop him and someone grabbed him by the collar. He opened his eyes to see Sora-hime straddling his waist, her fists clenched so hard around his shirt that her knuckles were turning white.

"How are you gonna protect anyone if you can't even beat me!? Surrender!? Is that what you're gonna do when enemies come and surround you and back you into a corner and there seems like there is no way out!? Just give up!? That's like telling them 'here, take my meaningless life' you baka!" she shouted, tears brimming in her whisky coloured eyes.

Hak's blue eyes widened as one of her tears fell onto his cheek. Her shoulders shook as she choked back her sobs.

"You have to make sure you keep training as hard as we have this week; I may not be around to train with you but you have to promise you won't get lazy. Promise me you'll become stronger and tougher so you can protect yourself and everyone while I'm away. Promise me you'll never surrender! Promise me you won't die!"

His heart thumped wildly in his chest at her words. _So that's why she was pushing me so hard this week – she was afraid I will not be strong enough to look after everyone and myself while she's gone._

* * *

Sora hid her face behind her hair as the tears continued to fall against her will. Yes, she was still a little mad at him for what he had said a week ago when he found out she was leaving, but the fear she had was much bigger than that. She couldn't bear the thought of returning to Hiryuu Castle one day and finding everyone gone, or if Hak was gone. If anything were to happen to them, she would never forgive herself.

She felt him brush away her hair from her face, tucking the strands behind her ear then cupping her cheek gently as he raised her face to look him in the eye.

"You're my best friend. I don't know who else I can count on. And I can't lose you too" she confessed as she lost herself in his beautiful blue eyes.

"As you are mine" he replied, bringing her forehead to rest against his.

"I am sorry for what I said earlier, I simply could not accept that you were leaving. I mean, who would I train with, eat with, make fun of and tease. I…I didn't mean what I said about your father" he continued.

"I know" she assured him.

They didn't know how long they remained there, staring into each other's eyes before they were interrupted by someone clearing his throat. They jumped apart, Sora wiping her eyes frantically.

"I just wanted to tell you two to call it a day and wash up. The King wishes to have a feast in conjunction with for Sora-hime's departure. But it appears that training ended ahead of schedule today anyway" Mundok said with an amused expression on his face before walking off thoughtfully.

* * *

Later that night as I was getting ready for bed, I heard a soft knock on my door. I opened it to find a sheepish Hak standing there.

"Sora-hime… I… erm… do you think I could stay here for tonight? No…not that I'm a pervert or anything, I just thought we could talk and stuff like how we used to when we were kids. I just wanted to… erm… spend whatever time I had…" he trailed off, blushing furiously.

…

Before dawn the next morning, I quietly made my way out of the room, which was easy given that we had left the doors ajar during the night (it would have caused quite a scandal if we were discovered in a closed room alone at night; we weren't kids anymore after all). Last night we had reminisced about funny moments in our childhood till we both fell asleep; Hak had been a gentleman and taken the floor.

Before I left, I leaned over Hak, watching his peaceful face as he slept; and pressed the gentlest of kisses on his cheek. "I will miss you the most" I whispered although I knew he couldn't hear me.

Sora had thought about it during the night and come to terms with the fact that she had fallen in love with him somewhere in the years of their endless bickering and fighting.

"I'm sorry, I just don't think I can face you and say goodbye" she said before turning to leave, the first rays of dawn illuminating her silhouette.

* * *

Hak awoke to sunlight on his face, and an empty bed. He rushed out of the room, bumping into Mundok who was walking along the corridor. He made a mad dash for the stables when the old man told him that the princess had already left. When he discovered that her horse was gone too, he rode his own stallion as quickly as he could to the city gates but he was too late, she was already long gone by now.

 _She didn't even say goodbye…_


	5. Chapter 5

**3 years later…**

"Sora-taichou! Sora-taichou!"

"Keep your voice down, Li-Yang" she shushed him as some villagers were already looking at her curiously. She wanted to draw as little attention to herself as possible when she was out making her usual rounds, often opting to change out of her captain's armor and garbs to blend in; and her second-in-command's loud voice was having the exact opposite effect of what she wanted.

He ran up to her and whispered quickly into her ear, relaying the information he had just attained from the carrier pigeon.

"WHAT!? Are you sure about this!?"

"Positive, Sora-taichou. There is no mistake. I'm… I'm very sorry"

"It… it can't be… No, I need to speak to him at once and find out what's really going on here. Take charge while I'm gone!"

 _I've been away for far too long…_ she thought as she saddled her horse.

* * *

"NO. No, Soo-Won wouldn't… Why would he… That's ridiculous! Tell me this is a joke… This is Soo-Won we're talking about! We grew up together! He… he's like a brother to me. So why…"

Mundok said nothing but embraced the young lady sitting before him as she choked on her sobs, her shoulders trembling as she murmured to herself. She had stormed into Fuuga to see him, having ridden like a speed demon from the Fire tribe village she had been serving along the borders of the Kai Empire.

"It's all my fault, if I had been there… maybe I could have done something. Maybe I could have saved chichi-ue or stopped Soo-Won. I… I should have returned sooner to visit…it's all my fault, now I'll never see chichi-ue again"

"Don't be silly, child. No one could have predicted any of this. If you had been there, who knows what might have happened. The king loved you very much and I'm sure he knows how you felt as well, that's all that matters"

"I can't believe it. The Soo-Won I grew up with was gentle and cheerful, one of the kindest people I've ever met. He would never do something like that; even if he believed it would make the kingdom a better place, killing someone to achieve it is still wrong! No, I must see him right away!"

"There is nothing you can do or say now that will change anything. It is better not to get involved in all this as it is. Being away from the castle has kept you protected from Soo-Won's plans so far; it would not be wise to entangle yourself with his affairs now"

"But how can I just let him get away with this? How can I go back and pretend as if nothing happened!? …There IS something I can do… where are they?"

"Who?"

"Don't tease me, gramps. You know who"

...

I grumbled to myself as I left Mundok's room. Stubborn old man… It had taken me a whole hour to get a little information from gramps on their whereabouts.

Suddenly I heard a familiar voice and light footsteps running towards me. "Onesan~~!"

"Tae-Yeon!" I exclaimed as I turned and spotted the cute blue-eyed boy. I ran towards him and embraced him in a tight bear hug.

"I've missed you! Whoa, you've grown! You're such a big boy now!" I said to a beaming Tae-Yeon.

"I've missed you too! Onesan's hair is really long and pretty now!" he said happily running his fingers through my dark hair.

I allowed myself to be led away, his small hand in mine, as the excited child convinced me to have a meal with him before leaving; unaware of gramps' warm gaze from his room window as he watched our interaction.

 _Please be safe, child_ …

* * *

 _ **~ Somewhere not too far off, trouble is brewing...**_

 _Idiot… I thought I told her to hide and stay put!_

My vision blurred and my head was spinning as I felt the effects of the poison in my veins. We had set out to find the priest, only to run into Tae-Jun and his men. I had hidden the princess behind some bushes and ordered her to stay put. What the hell is she doing…

I watched as Yona-hime confronts Tae-Jun, who was trying to persuade her to go back to the castle so they can dethrone Soo-Won.

* * *

As Hak continued to fight below, I questioned Tae-Jun for attacking innocent people just to get to me. It fills me with rage when he tells me he is merely following orders, like a mindless person.

I watched in horror as Hak receives a harsh blow across the chest, which pushes him back over the side of the cliff. He manages to grab onto the rocky edge to keep himself from falling, though he can't pull himself up, hanging perilously by one arm. Beside me, Tae-Jun watches gleefully, wishing for him to fall into oblivion. The realization hit me like a ton of bricks – Hak will die.

As I ran to his aid, a sharp tug on my hair halts me in my tracks, my scalp burning from the sensation as Tae-Jun yanked me back by my hair. I spotted his sword and did not hesitate, grabbing onto it and cutting off my hair in one swing as I ran to Hak's side.

* * *

I was losing consciousness, succumbing to the poison. Blood continued to seep from the wound on my chest. I was hanging on for dear life as I channeled whatever strength I had left to my arm, trying to tighten my grip and pull myself up, but to no avail. Vivid images of what they might do to the princess after I'm gone played in my mind like a nightmare – what if they took her back to Soo-Won and killed her?

I saw the princess swinging the sword to ward off the other soldiers as they advanced towards us.

 _No, what is she doing!? Hime-sama, run! Somebody, anybody, please… save her_ , was my last desperate thought as my strength waned.

"Oi, you got a death wish or something?"

I looked up and saw a black-cloaked figure. The figure wasn't very large, probably just a head taller than Yona-hime. Based on that stature and somewhat eerily familiar voice, I knew it was a woman. She had her back towards me so I couldn't see her face. She had come out of nowhere, putting herself between the princess and the men. She held an intricate black staff in her hand, a bow and arrow set and a double sword sheath strapped across her back. Just then the wind blew off her hood, revealing her long dark hair which billowed in the wind behind her.

As her hood fell away to reveal her face, I saw Yona-hime gasp, her purple eyes widening in shock.

…

"Ne-sama?"


	6. Chapter 6

"Sora-taichou? What are you doing here?" Tae-Jun asked as he recognized her. The villages near the borders belonged to the Fire tribe, after all.

"Have your men stand down, Lord Tae-Jun; I do not wish to hurt anyone"

"They are fugitives wanted by the King. If you insist on standing in my way, I will have my men cut you down as punishment for disobeying royal orders and betraying your country to assist traitors"

"Just walk away and we'll pretend this never happened. Let it go" she countered, her eyes resolute.

Instead, his men continued to advance towards them.

"As you wish" she whispered.

She was a blur of black as she moved, taking down the soldiers with graceful ease, effectively putting distance between them and the princess. Yona couldn't help but to notice the way Sora wielded her staff was similar to Hak's own style of using his hsu quandao. Sora skillfully took out most of the soldiers, without mortally wounding them. As she dealt with them, Yona took the chance to rush towards Hak and tried to pull him up but alas she was not strong enough.

Then the princess felt a hand on her shoulder as she looked up to meet her sister's eyes.

"Here, take this and keep it pointed at them" Sora said, thrusting a smaller blade at Yona.

"Shout if they take even a step…" _Although I doubt Tae-Jun would allow them to harm his dear princess_ , she thought to herself as she turned her back towards them and tried to help Hak up.

As expected, Tae-Jun ordered the rest of his men not to harm Yona.

"Well look what we have here, someone needs my help after all" Sora said teasingly as she reached down to grab onto Hak's arm.

"Urgh, you weigh a ton! What have you been eating these past 3 years!?" she exclaimed as she strained and managed to pull him up halfway. In spite of her teasing, she was secretly worried; she noted his complexion was pale from the blood loss and his lack of response as he was barely conscious. It amazed her that he was still able to hold onto the ledge, given his condition.

Just then, she heard a low rumble and before they could react, the ground gave way under them, plunging the 3 of them into the abyss below.

Instinctively, both Sora and Hak reached for the princess, shielding her between their bodies as they fell. In the last moments, Hak turned so that his back faced the ground, using his body as a shield to break their fall; his last effort to protect both princesses. As he fell unconscious, Sora tried to grab onto the tree branches in an attempt to slow their momentum but their combined weight proved too much as the branches would not hold and they continued to spiral down. Seeing that Hak was already severely injured, she used her weight to shift him back, effectively using her own body to protect them from the impact.

* * *

...

Yona awoke in an unfamiliar hut. She turned to see a boy tending to her. He introduced himself as Yoon, the 'passing handsome boy genius' and explained how he had found them by the river.

"To survive a fall like that you must be pretty tough; and with such minor injuries at that. Although I think it is most likely because they shielded you as you fell, which would also explain the bad state they are in"

Yona turned to see Hak lying on the other side of the room unmoving, his breathing was shallow and his body covered in bandages. Right next to him was her sister who had bandages around her head and torso, breathing laboriously.

"I've removed the poison from his body but he's still got some really nasty wounds there and he's lost quite a lot of blood. On the other hand, her physical wounds weren't quite as severe, just some cuts, bruises and a head wound but there was some internal bleeding and broken ribs. I'd say she bore the brunt of the fall"

* * *

I didn't know how long I had been asleep, what day it was, or even where I was. I sat up, ignoring the sharp pain in my ribcage as I surveyed my surroundings. Hak was lying next to me looking battle-worn. A little distance away, I could make out 3 figures laying in the dark, fast asleep – Yona, a boy with short hair and a man dressed in white with long hair covering his face. Thankfully, Yona seemed relatively unharmed. Spying my cloak folded neatly in a corner, I put it on and went outside.

I had been searching the forest for my staff when I spotted Hak's hsu quandao nearby. Picking it up I inspected it; it was similar to my staff except it had a blade at the end. I was proficient with long weapons like my staff or the hsu quandao, although not quite as good as Hak was - my specialty had always been dual swords which explained the double sword sheath I always carried. Which is also why I never used them unless necessary; to wield them would mean certain death to whoever I faced.

"You shouldn't be out here you know; you had a pretty nasty fall from the looks of it"

I turned to see Hak leaning against a tree nearby, watching me, his arms folded nonchalantly like he wasn't covered in injuries.

"I could say the same for you" I replied after giving him a good once-over. He was no longer the boy I knew, but a man… _A very attractive man_ , I thought despite myself.

"Tch. I don't die easily – I made a promise to someone long ago remember?"

There was a pregnant silence as I stared at the ground, a blush creeping on my face. _He remembered that?_ I could feel his eyes on me, but I couldn't bring myself to make eye contact. There were many nights that I had dreamt of what it would be like to see him face to face again and what I would say to him; but now that he was right before me, I was at a loss for words.

"So… how's it going?" I blurted awkwardly. _Stupid question… What did I expect him to say? 'Oh everything is just great – the King was murdered by Soo-Won who is now emperor, Yona is on the run and we're stuck out here in this God-forsaken place with severe injuries and no idea where to go'_

His shadow came within my line of sight as he came closer till he was right in front of me.

"You didn't even say goodbye"

"You can't still be mad about that, right? You know I hate goodbyes, it's too hard" I laughed nervously, trying to ignore the intensity of his blue stare.

"Then you shouldn't have left in the first place"

"Look, I'm sorry… I just couldn't. You're not seriously still angry with me, are you? I mean, things have been pretty great for you up till now right? Can't we just put it behind us?"

He just stood there in silence, his glare searing, leaving me feeling naked under his penetrative blue gaze.

"… I guess not" I said, turning to leave.

As I walked past him back to the hut, suddenly I felt something warm encompass my hand. I looked down to see his large hand grasping mine.

"I MIGHT reconsider if you give me something in return"

"Wh… what do you want then?" I stammered as he pulled me by the hand till I was flush against his muscular chest, his face inches from mine, his eyes seemed to peer into the depths of my soul. He stared silently, seemingly searching my face. My treacherous mind fabricated various explicit scenarios in my head as my heart pounded in anticipation. He visibly shook his head slightly, breaking eye contact before pulling away.

"A match worth waiting 3 years for"

I stared at him dumbfounded (and mildly disappointed) for a moment before a grin broke out on my face.

"You're on!"

* * *

I watched as her face lit up with excitement at the thought of a rematch between us 3 years later.

 _What's gotten into me?_ , I thought as I ran my fingers through my hair.

The sudden rush of desire a moment ago at the feel of her pliant body against mine had taken me by surprise. She was my best friend, or at least, she used to be before she left. I waved the matter off, must have been the after-effects of the poison or something. Or maybe I was just surprised given that she had definitely grown up from the girl I remembered her to be 3 years ago. And besides, my feelings were devoted to Yona-hime. Always has been… right?

"What are you daydreaming about? Let's get this thing started!" she said, her voice breaking the flow of my internal monologue. I grinned back, letting her excitement get to me. I never could stay angry at her for long, especially when I saw her face looking at me like that.

 _This is gonna be fun._

* * *

Unbeknownst to them, Yona had been watching from behind a line of trees. She had woken up to realize Hak and Sora were missing. Images of them lying somewhere in the forest, bleeding and alone had flooded her mind, sending her into a panic. As she had wandered around in search of them, a loud crash had caught her attention and she had followed the source of the sound to find Hak and Sora sparring, their weapons colliding being the source of the sounds from before.

They were gonna end up reopening their wounds at this rate and she was about to stop them when it dawned on her that they were actually enjoying themselves. She noted the grin on Hak's face and the fire in Sora's golden eyes.

 _I haven't seen an expression like that on Hak's face in a long time…_


	7. Chapter 7

**_~Timeskip_**

 _Absolutely not! There was no way I was going to let Yona-hime use herself as bait to capture Yang Kum-Ji. Not only was it dangerous, it was incredibly risky – what if they discovered her? Or what if we couldn't reach her in time?_

"I'll go with her" a familiar voice spoke up as I internally groaned.

 _Not you too…_

These 2 princesses were driving me insane - they were more stubborn than any man I knew and had no sense of self-preservation of their lives; a deadly combination to say the least. What's worst was I couldn't seem to say no to them, or convince them of anything otherwise.

* * *

Their entourage was currently on a pirate ship off Awa Port where Princess Yona had volunteered them to help Captain Gi-Gan end Lord Kum-Ji's reign of terror. Over the past few months, they had followed Ik-Su's instructions to search out the 4 legendary dragons of which to date they had located 3 – Kija, Shin-Ah and Jae-Ha.

Nobody except Jae-Ha noticed the dark look on Hak's face as the Captain approved the plan – it was the best way to locate the missing girls and rescue them.

* * *

Sora lay on her back basking in the moonlight. She heard soft footsteps down below so she sat up to take a look. She watched from the cliff above as Hak walked past, then stopped just below where she was sitting. Yoon had taught her much about gunpowder and fireworks over dinner. She had hiked her way up the mountain after that to clear her thoughts and prepare herself before the plan was executed tomorrow.

He stood there in silence for a moment with his arms folded. She could tell he was in one of his moods again; he had been ever since the plan was concocted. And she knew why – Yona. It had always been Yona. Truth be told, she wasn't totally unperturbed, it hurt her deeply when she saw them together but she knew better than to be petty about it. She didn't hold any resentment for her sister, or Hak for that matter. She knew how Hak felt about her sister. And as a result, she often suppressed any feelings or desire she felt (as soon as she had realized her own feelings for him) because what was more important was that they both were happy and loved. And if that means Hak had to continue being oblivious about her feelings, then so be it.

Just then, Yona appeared; she seemed to have come from the direction of the ship. She watched quietly as Hak grabbed Yona and pushed her against the wall, asking her to give up on her mission. After some muffled conversation, he had no choice but to let her go. He must have realized by now that Yona had changed so much too.

Sora had been so engrossed in her own thoughts that she did not notice a certain green-haired man watching her from a tree nearby. He drank in the sight of her delicate features and silhouette illuminated by the moonlight, the resigned look in her eyes as she watched the scene below her.

* * *

 ** _~ Later that night..._**

Hak couldn't sleep. No matter how he tossed and turned, he was still wide awake. He was thinking about his encounter with Yona-hime earlier – she had changed so much, and to be honest, he knew it had been a long shot trying to convince her to give up.

His thoughts then wandered to Sora-hime. Things between them were a little different from what it used to be; at first he had thought it was due to the time they had spent apart but then he had realized that she would instinctively put some distance between them every time it seemed like things were getting back to normal. He couldn't understand it. On the other hand, she was overly friendly to all the others, often oblivious to the effect she had on men, Jae-Ha in particular who seemed to have taken a special liking to her. He couldn't understand why that irked him as much as it did either.

He got up and started walking aimlessly around the parameters of the campsite. Before he knew it, he was standing in front of a particular tent, without any conscious idea why he was there. He gently lifted the flap of the tent and looked at the sleeping duo inside. Yona-hime was sleeping soundly with her face partially hidden by the covers. After ensuring she was fine, he then turned his gaze to the dark-haired figure next to her. He took in the sight of her long dark hair, framing her face, her long eyelashes fanned across her cheek. She had a hand under her makeshift pillow, which he knew from his childhood memories, was clasped around a small dagger that she always slept with. He closed the flap noiselessly and sat down under a tree nearby.

"Can't sleep? Something on your mind?" a deep voice said.

"Could say the same for you" he retorted to a smirking Jae-Ha.

Jae-Ha plopped down next to him and just sat there in silence, a smirk still plastered across his face.

…

"What!?" he asked, frustrated at Jae-Ha's silence.

"Nothing"

"Well if you're not gonna say anything, go back to your own tent!"

"Just out of curiosity… which one of them is keeping you up on a nice night like this?"

"Huh?"

"You know… I could always take one of them off your hands"

"What's that supposed to mean!?"

"Well bro, the way I see it, Yona is far better suited with you and Sora is way better off with me. It's perfect. What do ya say?"

"I say go jump off a cliff… Besides, Sora-hime deserves a lot better than the likes of you"

"Oh? You mean someone like you?" Jae-Ha taunted.

"What are you talking about? We're just friends"

"Are you sure she feels the same way?"

"Of course, we grew up together. We're best friends, she said so herself"

"Yona, Soo-Won and yourself grew up together too but that didn't stop any of you, did it"

"That's different!"

"Well then I suppose you mean to say you have no 'manly' feelings towards Sora whatsoever? I guess you won't mind if I pursue her seriously starting from now then?"

"I'll pummel you to dust"

"That's awfully selfish of you, hoarding 2 princesses for yourself… Just do us all a favor and ask yourself then – if you don't see her as a woman, which she is by the way if you had bothered to look, why do you feel angry at the thought of her being pursued by another man? Is it just because it's me or would it be the same for any other man? You might wanna think about that" and with that Jae-Ha walked away, leaving Hak to his own thoughts.

* * *

...

At dawn, I was dressing myself in the cabin with the clothes Captain Gi-Gan had provided me the night before; apparently my usual black outfit was too conspicuous. I reluctantly put down my sheathed swords, bow and staff on a table, taking only a small dagger that I could easily hide in my waistband. I heard the floorboards creak behind me and instinctively reached for my sword, unsheathing it as I turned. But before it was fully unsealed, a hand covered mine over the hilt and pushed it back in its place with a decisive click.

I recognized his familiar masculine scent before I even saw his face. His blue gaze held mine intently as he moved closer. I backed away until my hip bumped into the table as he put both his palms down on the table on either side of me, trapping me between the table and his large frame.

"Hak, what's wrong? What are you doing here?" I said, frantically trying to grab my cloak to cover myself as I realized I still wasn't completely dressed; my outer robe was still undone. He grabbed my hand, stilling me.

I turned a shade of red as he leaned his forehead on my barely clothed shoulder, his warmth seeping through the thin fabric against my skin.

"Hak? What's gotten into you? Did something happen?" I asked worriedly.

"… It'll be alright, I'll protect Yona with my life. You have nothing to worry about, I'll make sure she returns safely, I promise" I continued when he didn't reply, assuming this was the reason behind his strange behavior.

"You two will be the death of me, I swear"

"Huh?"

"I worry for you too, Sora-hime"

"Oh… Well don't, I can take care of myself"

"Do you have any idea what it's like knowing that anything could happen to you and I'd be helpless to do anything about it?"

"You mean if anything were to happen to Yona"

"… That's not what I meant"

I pushed him gently off my shoulder, holding him away at arms' length.

"Hak, please don't concern yourself about me. I understand that Yona is the main priority, and I will keep her safe for you. That's all there is to it. Now please, I have to get ready"

I turned my back to him, effectively dismissing him. I held my composure until I heard the soft click of the door closing behind him. Only then did I allow myself to release a heavy sigh. I thought my resolve had been strong enough, I knew how he felt about Yona and yet, why did it still allow myself to fall for his words?

 _Sora, you idiot… I can't allow myself to accept his concern, I can't. It's too much to bear. If you do, even being his friend will get tougher"_

* * *

 _ **~ Timeskip**_

The town was abuzz with festivities and celebrations as Awa Port rejoiced in their freedom.

Yona and Sora had successfully infiltrated Yang Kum-Ji's human trafficking ship and taken down their operation. Although Yona sprained her ankle, she had been able to escape with the help of Sora and Yuri, one of the girls who were kidnapped. On the deck, Sora had held off the soldiers, giving Yona the chance to light the fireworks, signalling Shin-Ah.

Sora had sustained minor injuries while protecting Yona before Jae-Ha and Shin-Ah had come to assist them. While Sora had continued to fight alongside the men, Yona who had dealt the final blow, shooting Yang Kum-Ji in the chest with her arrow as he tried to escape on a row boat.

Whilst everyone was celebrating that night, Hak sat by a fire sipping his drink. His gaze wandered to Yona-hime; she had been visibly shaken by something she saw earlier this morning although she did not tell him exactly what it was. After checking that she seemed fine, he scanned the crowd for a certain raven-haired girl but she was nowhere to be found. In fact, she had been missing since they had arrived back at the port.

* * *

"Hak?" Yona called out as she saw him walking off on his own towards the inn. The townspeople had graciously offered them accommodations for the night. He did not seem to have heard her but continued walking. Yona followed him curiously.


	8. Chapter 8

I didn't know where she was; neither did I know how I knew where she would be. On a hunch I climbed up onto the roof of the inn and there I found Sora-hime sitting by herself, her bare back towards me, trying to bandage a wound in her side.

I put a hand over my eyes and cleared my throat to announce my presence.

"What the hel… Hak!? You baka! Close your eyes! Don't you understand the meaning of privacy? I'm still a lady, you know!" she said. I peeked slightly through my fingers to see her covering herself quickly.

"My eyes ARE closed. Besides, what's the point? Your body lacks sex appeal so…"

My response was answered by a swift blow to the head as she threw her shoe forcefully at me.

...

Yona wandered around the inn; she had lost sight of Hak along the way. As she was about to leave and make her way back, she heard voices coming from above her. She stepped away and saw Hak and her sister on the roof, bickering and exchanging blows as they always did. She didn't fail to notice that the usual pained and sorrowful look in Hak's eyes was gone, replaced with laughter as he teased ne-sama.

* * *

 ** _~Timeskip_**

The girls sighed blissfully as they enjoyed the hot spring.

They were currently at an inn in a Water Tribe village. They had met Lili, Tetora and Ayura the day before and Yona had rescued Lili from the Nadai addicts. As a token of her gratefulness, Lili had offered them to stay at the same inn as her. However, Lili continued to conceal her identity from them, being the daughter of the Water Tribe General, An Joon-Gi. Tired of being helpless and standing by while her father did nothing about the Nadai issue in their tribe, she had left her home in search for a solution.

As for the others, they had met Zeno, the yellow dragon whilst on their way to the Water Tribe villages. There they had discovered most of the residents in the port towns were suffering from excessive usage of Nadai, a narcotic drug that causes hallucinations and even death. Some establishments were even threatened by the smugglers to circulate them to their customers.

Today the men had split up – Jae-Ha, Hak and Kija had gone to Suirei, the shop where Jae-Ha had collapsed after being given Nadai days ago; whilst Yoon, Shin-Ah and Zeno had stayed with them at the inn and were currently enjoying their own hot spring.

"With so many gentlemen around you, don't you lie to us and say there's no one you like~" Tetora said.

I drowned out their voices as they continued to tease Yona, sliding myself deeper into the warm water.

"Ne-sama?"

"Hmm?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure" I said, sitting up only to realize Yona and I were alone. I must've dozed off for a while and Lili and her servants must have gone off to get dressed.

"What do you think about Hak?"

"Huh? What kind of question is that? Hak is well… Hak. What's there to think about?"

"Ne-sama~! That's not what I meant"

"Well, let me ask you what do YOU think about Hak then? I honestly haven't met anyone so oblivious" I muttered the last bit under my breath.

"He annoys me and does weird things sometimes but he's good company and a good teacher and protects me well when he has to"

I didn't realize I literally smacked my forehead but it was too late. _How dense was this girl? Hak is either gonna kill me or thank me for this…_

"No silly, he doesn't protect you because it's his job. He does it out of love, Yona. Seriously, everyone knows it by now; don't tell me you don't see it?"

To my surprise, she smiled gently at me, shaking her head.

"No, he thinks he is in love with me, but he really isn't"

"What are you talking about?"

"Because he's in love with you, ne-sama; he just hasn't fully realized it yet"

I hid my face from her, staring at the ground, my shoulders trembling at her words.

"Ne-sama? Are you alrig…"

"Pfft… Hah… hah… HAHAHAHAHA~~!" I sputtered, laughing loudly as I couldn't hold it back anymore.

"Ne-sama~! It's not funny!" she whined as she watched me laugh uncontrollably till tears brimmed in my eyes.

"I'm sorry, Yona. It's just so ridiculous that it's funny" I said, wiping away my tears of laughter. "Hak has been devoted to you all this while if you've bothered to take a closer look. He would risk his life to the end to protect you" I continued in a more serious tone.

"No, ne-sama! Listen to me, I've seen the way he is when he is around you; he's happier and more carefree, like a burden is lifted from him. He's more himself, the way he used to be. Only you have this effect on him. It's always been you, even before you left 3 years ago. I am sure of this! He has been yours for a long time, and he's starting to realize it even more since Awa Port"

Without waiting for a reply, Yona got up and left, leaving me to stare after her in confusion.

* * *

 _Why can't ne-sama see it?_ I thought as I walked along the corridor with Lili. It was a beautiful night and I had thoroughly enjoyed the conversation with the women. While waiting for Tetora who had gone to ask the staff at the inn for some tea and sweets, I wondered where ne-sama had run off to; I had not seen her since I left the hot spring.

Suddenly we heard a commotion and spotted Tetora lying on the floor with a man standing over her; she was bleeding from a fresh wound.

"Yona… Take Lady Lili and run… this person is… the Nadai… the smuggler, Hiyou…"

 _We need to run. Take Lili away from here quickly… I can't! If I run, this person will immediately kill Tetora… If I can't run, then… I must to fight!_

As I fought against the men, I know I don't really stand a chance against them but I had to protect Lili.

"Who do you think you can protect!? You're already at your limit defending against my attacks. The victory is already determined!" my attacker said.

"It's true, I'm not strong. But… your sword is dull. I know of a sword that is a hundred times faster and stronger than yours" I said, thinking of Hak and Sora-ne-sama. They had been taking turns to teach me sword-fighting for a while now.

 _Tell me, a weak person like me… What can I do to defeat a person stronger than me? What should I do to protect someone else?_

In that moment, I anticipated his movement and lowered my stance. Dodging his kick, I hit his pivoting leg as the man fell to the ground. I was unsteady on my feet, breathing heavily, taking a moment's reprieve. Suddenly out of the corner of my eye, I spotted movement. I rushed to push Lili away as I braced myself for the blow to come… but it never did.

I turned to see blood splatter on the floor, but it wasn't mine.

"Ne-sama!" I cried out as I realized she had somehow appeared out of thin air to shield me against the sword blow from the new opponent.

I stared in amazement as she moved like lightning despite her injury, using hand-to-hand combat to disarm the man and then using his sword to cut down the rest of the men, finally raising the sword to Hiyou with a look of death in her eyes.

"Nobody points a weapon at my sister and lives"

* * *

I ignored the pain across my back as I held the sword steadily. _I could feel the blood dripping down the back of my legs, making a puddle on the floor. Tch, it'll take more than a silly cut to take me down. And besides, Yona needs me. I promised_ _chichi-ue, Mundok, Hak, everyone I'd keep her safe and I don't intend to break my promise._

"Wait. There's something I want to ask him" Yona says, halting me.

Just then, I felt a sharp pain as I looked down to see the man had buried a small dagger into my side.

As I fell on one knee, clutching my side, Yona slashed the man across his face, leaving a giant 'X' on his forehead. Her eyes burned with anger as the man completely lost it, screaming threats and whatnot like a raving madman.

"I won't forget your face! I will absolutely kill you!"

The man fled as Shin-Ah, Zeno and Yoon arrived at the scene. Shin-Ah moved to pursue him but was called back by Zeno and Yoon to help them with Tetora, Yona and myself.

"I'm fine, I can stand on my own. You guys take care of Yona, Lili and Tetora" I said.

They ignored me as Shin-Ah moved to help me.

"You're bleeding all over the place, you're definitely not fine at all" Yoon scolded.

"No, really, I don't ne…" as everything went black and I collapsed.


	9. Chapter 9

My eyelids fluttered open and regarded the man sitting solemnly by my bedside. At first glance, he seemed to be calmly staring into space with a pensive expression, sitting casually with his knee pulled up towards his chest, one arm draped over the knee, but his eyes gave him away, hiding his deeper turmoil within.

 _Hak? What's wrong?,_ I thought before I spoke up. "Hak, you're back?"

He glanced over at the sound of my voice. I gripped the covers from under me, pulling them higher around my chest as I realized that I was only half-dressed although someone had laid me lying face down to avoid my injured back. My upper body was wrapped around entirely by criss-crossing bandages.

"How're you feeling? Should I call Yoon over?"

"No, I'm fine. Where is everybody?"

"Yoon is tending to Tetora's wounds, Yona-hime and Lili are with them too and the others are tracking down the smuggler that escaped"

"I see. That's good then, everyone is alright"

"Yea, everyone except you"

"Hak…" I started, trying to get up, wincing slightly at the wave of pain across my back and piercing my side. _Please don't make that face. Just tell me what's wrong._

"Don't move, if you need something let me…"

"I would like some water" I said. It was the only excuse I could think of at the moment to convince him to help me up. I was going to find out what was bothering him and I wanted to be looking at him levelly when I did - I wasn't going to let him get away without answering me.

Wrapping an arm around my shoulder for support, he leaned my body against his as he fed me some water. I gripped his wrist lightly to steady the cup to my lips and the feel of his warm skin beneath my fingers, his hard chest against my shoulder triggered butterflies in my stomach.

"What's with the face?" I finally dared to ask, almost afraid to hear his reply.

"What face?"

"That face you're making right now. What's wrong? Did something happen to Yona?"

"… No"

"Then why…?"

"Because you're an idiot with no regard for your personal safety and wellbeing whatsoever and its driving me insane"

"Hak…"

"I don't understand, what were you thinking!? You could've died! If Yoon and the others hadn't come by in time, who knows what might have happened! What would I ever do if you… never mind" he growled out, severing his own train of thought. _He did not want to go there._

"But I didn't. I promised you and _chichi-ue_ that I would always look out for Yona. I would protect her with my life, if that's what it takes. This life doesn't belong to me anymore, it belongs to the people I love"

"And that makes it alright to throw it away?"

I inhaled deeply, trying to preserve my diminishing serenity. "I'm not throwing it away. I admit the smuggler caught me off guard for a moment but I am not some reckless sword swinging idiot. Besides, Yona is safe, that's all that matters, isn't it?" I sigh.

"That's not the point! I will not trade your life for hers! You let your guard down even once and that could very well mean the end of you" he chastised.

 _That does it! If he thinks he can just sit there and lecture me about safety, he's got another thing coming! How many times had he risked his life and gotten injured for her sake? How many times have I spent worrying about him and his safety, feeling completely helpless to do anything but watch quietly?_

"You would do the same if you were in my position! It's hypocritical! How many times have you gotten hurt trying to protect Yona? You fuss over me and yet refuse to let anyone else worry about you" I bit out, unable to keep out the traces of rage in my tone. I looked away angrily, but it wasn't very effective given that I was still cradled in his arms.

"You're a princess"

"And that makes my life more valuable than yours?" I snorted.

"Obviously" he replied, giving me a look that clearly said it was a stupid question.

"Then you're an even bigger moron than I thought"

Silence enveloped us as we were preoccupied with our own thoughts.

 _Why should one life be more valuable than another? The value of one's life isn't defined by social status or lofty titles. The true value of a person's life is defined in the eyes of the one who cherishes that person the most. Your life isn't as expendable as you think, Hak, you're too important to me._

He closed his eyes and sighed almost tiredly, breaking the stillness. "You need to rest", he said running his free hand through his dark hair subconsciously before lowering me back onto the futon. He moved to get up. "I'll be right outside if you need anything"

 _Even if I know you aren't mine to hold on to, even if I know your heart is far beyond my reach, just this once do you think I could be selfish for you? Even if it was just this one brief moment that I got to have you by my side like this - worrying over me and caring about me, even if it's just guilt that you feel… would you stay with me?_

I reached out and grabbed his wrist. He blinked at me once but remained tight-lipped.

"Hak, none of this is your fault. Do you hear me? You shouldn't need to feel responsible for my injuries, they are mine to bear. I am sorry I was careless and burdened all of you to worry over me but I'm thankful it was me instead of Yona who's lying here in this state and I don't regret anything in the least. It was my choice and mine alone"

He didn't respond, but he didn't move out of my grasp either.

"Since when did you start building walls between us?" _Please, don't shut me out,_ I secretly pleaded, wishing I could tell him more.

Time seemed to stretch for an eternity before he finally spoke. "I'm not the one who has been building walls". He was out the door before I could even fully process what he meant, my heart ached at the fact that he couldn't even bring himself to stay and talk to me about it.

I sighed heavily and rolled over, gritting my teeth at the ripple of pain as the skin around my wound grew taut at my movement. Deep down I knew I had been distant with him, always cautious and painfully aware of every interaction with each other, carefully keeping within the boundaries I had laid out for myself. It was unfair to him, it wasn't his fault, but it was the only solution I could think of. I honestly thought that he wouldn't have noticed the distance between us, he had Yona after all. That's why his words caught me by surprise.

 _I know, Hak. Believe me, I know. But what else can I do? What else can I say to you? That my heart aches to see you even closer to Yona than ever before? That I feel envious of my own sister and that I feel betrayed whenever you choose her? That I wish you would be by my side instead? That I am disgusted with myself for allowing such thoughts and emotions to exist? That my own feelings for you are the cause of all this and neither of you should worry about it? Yea, right._

* * *

I tightened my hold around Jae-Ha's neck as he leapt from one roof to another before finally settling near an abandoned building to get away from the rain.

Despite their protests, I had insisted on continuing our journey. I refused to admit to anyone that the weather and my recovering injuries left me feeling a little light-headed and feverish. I leaned against a pillar, suppressing a shiver as a gust of cold wind assaulted my body. I closed my eyes and concentrated, taking deep even breaths, attempting to will my impending fever away.

"So…" he said, breaking the silence. I reluctantly opened one eye and regarded him wearily.

"How're things between you and lover boy?" he asks.

"That would be a valid question if there was a lover boy to start with" I scoffed.

"Tsk tsk tsk. It seems like my little pep talk didn't get through that thick skull huh" he mused to himself.

I stiffened at his words. "Jae-Ha…" I growled out warningly. Although I didn't exactly confess anything to him, Jae-Ha was surprisingly perceptive in reading me and between the lines when it came to my interaction with Hak. "What did you say to him!?"

"Nothing…" he said, waving his hands dismissively. "… much" he finished, grinning at me.

"I swear if it wasn't because of these stupid injuries, I'd love to wring your…"

"Relax" he laughed. "I didn't mention anything on your part, merely pointed out what I observed from his behaviour. You've nothing to worry about. Besides, how could I rob you of the joy, the beautiful anxiousness of a love confession" he said dramatically.

I huffed at his antics and turned away, closing my eyes once again. _Great, now I have a headache too._

"I'm just curious though, why haven't you told him?"

"It's not that simple"

"From what I can tell, seems pretty simple to me"

"You know he doesn't feel that way about me"

"Trust me, I'm pretty good at reading people. Maybe if you just gave it a try, the results might surprise even you. And if it doesn't work out, well, you'll always have my shoulder to cry on"

"I don't need your scaly dragon shoulder"

"You wound me, Sora. I was offering myself with full sincerity". I could picture the pout on his face without even looking at him.

"Right, like how you offer yourself sincerely to every brothel in town"

"Now that's just plain insulting. I've told you before, you're different"

I peeked at him through half-lidded eyes and nearly missed the slightly hurt look that lurked in his green eyes. I sighed inwardly to myself. Hak aside, Jae-Ha was my closest friend. Despite his overly flirtatious and suggestive demeanour, I knew it hid a darker, more serious side to him and I valued his company and insights. He had told me once, albeit a little drunk, that he knew I was different from the first time he saw me. Different from what Yona meant to him, and different from what any other woman had meant to him. He didn't need to elaborate further, I wasn't THAT daft.

On the rare occasions that he wasn't trying to be Prince Charming and was more himself around me, the thought would cross my mind that maybe, just maybe I could come to feel the same way and return his sincerity – he was fiercely loyal, kind and funny, not to mention a beautiful man, there was no doubt about it. But as much as I wanted to, he and I both knew who my heart had belonged to since I was 16.

A gentle touch to my forehead and I open my eyes to see his handsome face inches from mine, peering at me, his eyebrows pulled together in concern.

"You alright there? I'm no doctor but you're a little too warm and pale to be considered normal"

"I'm fine. Just a little cold, that's all" I whispered, a little taken aback by his intense gaze. It was moments like this that sometimes made me wish I had fallen for him instead. Things would be a lot simpler.

"Well, why didn't you just say so" he replied with a smirk. _And just like that, the moment is gone,_ I thought, rolling my eyes as he gripped the collar of his shirt, pulling it opened slightly to reveal a sliver of his muscular chest. "I would've willingly offered. How could I possibly say no to a damsel in distress in need of warmth, the feel of skin against skin, the sharing of body heat with…"

Before he could even finish his sentence, he was sent flying. I looked up to see Hak dusting off his hands, a dark scowl on his face with Yona and the rest of them in tow.

* * *

I watched out of the corner of my eye as she rushed over to Jae-Ha who was picking himself from the rubble, rubbing the back of his head ruefully.

"You alright there?" she laughed, helping him up.

"Never better, sweetheart. Your concern warms my heart but I don't think I can take another hit like that from the Thunder Beast without retaliating" he chuckled, staring pointedly at me as I gritted my teeth in annoyance.


End file.
